Artist and color consultant Barbara Mayfield on making one's world sing with color.

Choosing Colors on the Internet – Arrgh.

In twenty years or so, homes will have sliding boards in the great rooms. I, for one, am happy about this.

I had a young visitor at the paint store today, who knew exactly what to do with the color brochures: make houses! It was very clear that I was in the presence of one who may be designing our living spaces in the not-too-distant future. She went to town opening up the color brochures and made several interesting versions of specific spatial configurations, to use the scientific terminology. These early impulses are clues to one’s true, happy purpose in life; artist Henri Matisse said so in one of his treatises. Just sayin’.

Bridgette (I call her this in honor of St Patrick’s Day) was in with her mom, Melissa, who is choosing colors for their new house. Like so many seekers of home decor inspiration, Melissa searched the internet for color combinations to use in her new place.

On her phone, she had a photo of a room that combined grays and a muted blue/green/grey: Wythe Blue, Oxford Gray 2128-40, and Mt. Rainier Gray 2129-60. I am all in for finding inspiration from wherever and whenever It springs.

Know this: when you see a “look” in a photo on the internet, you can get that look. It might be from the colors named in the photo, BUT the look you want in your space may require different colors. Remember: there is professional lighting, a camera, a printing press, the ether between the phone and the internet, and the phone screen between you and the paint on the walls of those inspiring rooms.

Always do The Process of bringing paper swatches home before buying paint. The light, the furnishings, the floors – all of it affects color, which is mystical shimmering light and responds to everything.

SO, I loaded Melissa up with grays and muted teals on either side of the named colors and she will be taping them onto her walls to narrow down the choices. THEN, she’ll purchase a few pint sample pots of color and paint big swathes onto her walls. And if nothing quite works, I hope she will call me and set up an in-home color consult so we can make the spaces deleriously beautiful.

Bridgette left with an armful of color brochures. I’m hoping her mom will send me photos of what we can look forward to in future home design!!